Cord gripping device



y 1 A. A. MORTON 2,553,931

CORD GRIPPING DEVICE Filed Sept. V25, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ALFRED A Mon-rev INVENTOR.

y 1 A. A. MORTON 2,553,931

CORD GRIPPING DEVICE Filed Sept. 25, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ALFRED 14, Monro/V INVENTOR.

Patented May 22, 1951 E s PATENT O FI E.

CORD GRIPPIN G DEVICE Alfred A. Morton, Portland, reg.," assignor' to M & B Industries, Inc., Portland,f0reg., a cor-' f' poration of Oregon Application September 23,1946, SerialNo. 698,703.

This invention relates to a cord gripping device for hand use to enable a personto obtain a firm grip on cord, twine, and the like in'binding and tying articles such as meat, boxes, bags, cartons, packages and bundles ofmaterial. a

Reference is made-to a'pplicants, application Serial No. 534,662, filed May 8, 1944, now abandoned.

The general object of the invention is to providea device which may be .held in the hand to grip or release a cord passing therethrough in accordance with the application or release of pressure on a particular part of the device.

Another object is to provide a cord gripping device of convenient shape and proportions to be comfortably held in one hand for tensioning cords, .to save the hands of persons engaged in occupations involving the constant tightening and tying of cords for long periods of time.

, Another object is to provide. a cord gripping device which is constructed to exert a powerful gripping action upon a cord from an external source with a relatively light pressure by the hand of the operator, and which may be instantly released when it is desired to move the cord through the device.

. Another object is to provide a cord gripping device of the type described with a cutting blade or knife normally concealed in the handle and adapted to be extended in a convenient position to cut the cord. V 7

Another object is to provide a cord gripping device of the type described with releasable means for holding a needle for use in threading the cord through meat, bags, cartons, or other articles to be tied. Y v

These and other objects will become apparent as the description proceeds in connection with the accompanying drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a cord gripping device made in accordance with the principles of the present invention showing a tying cord extending therethrough and through an eye in the outer end of a sewing needle attached thereto;

Figure 2 is a side elevation view of the device shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a perspectivesectional view of the device taken on the line 33 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a View taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 2; I

Figure 5 is a view taken substantially on the line 5- -5 of Figure 2; and

Figure 6 is a view taken similarly to Figure 4 with the cord removed and the needle partially removed from the device.

ing' cord through meat, packages, bags, or the f1 Claim. (clan-1:52)

like t o beitied, it is" to be understood that the gripping device is useful without the needle for tensioning cords and twine, particularly in binding and tying operations to prevent injury to the hands of the operator. A person working 'c'onl stantly with cords and twine, as in binding and" tying, must have some protection for the'hands. Gloves are notsuitable for the purposeas' they interfere with the manipulation of the cord in tying a knot, and quickly wear through in places where the cord is 'grippedin applying'tension. The present gripping device. enables the operator to work with bare hands or with relatively thin gloves through which he can feel the cord in tying knots and the like, and allows the cord to betakenfrbm a large reel or'c-oil conveniently located. When the removable: needle is inserted in the gripping device, 'it'fis' particularly well adapted for certain specialized'uses' as, for instance, by butchers in tying rolled meats and the like'wherein the needle is' used to sew the cord through the'meat and the gripping device is used for tightly binding the rolled meat preparatoryto tying.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated, the numeral I indicates generally the handle of the gripping device through which is passed the tying cord 2 from a'reel or coil not shown. When the gripping device is to be used with a needle, the cord is threaded through the eye 3' in the outer end of a needle 4 which is adapted to be removably secured in the handle I. The handle is'preferably made of two halves 5 and 6 joined together by means of screws orbolts '1 so that when one of these halves-is removed the cord and needle gripping elements are exposed as shown in Figure 4, being entirely self contained and mounted in the other half of the handle. Upon the handle half 6 is mounted a plate8 and a pivot 9 carrying a trigger I0 having one side exposed along an edge of the handle. "One end of the trigger is formed with a lug I I adapted to' engage with a notch I2 formed at the inner end of the needle whereby the normal gripping a'ction' of the-operator around the edge of the handle forces the lug into the notch and holds the opposite side'of the needle rigidly against a wall of the plate 8 which functions as an abutment member. The trigger member is spaced from this abutment wall just sufficiently to allowinsertion of a square needle shank therebetween. The needle is released from the handle by applying pressure to thenarrowed forward end 14 of the trigger to swing the trigger about the pivot 9 to cause the lug I I to disengage from the notch I2. When this is done the needle is free to be withdrawn from the handle as shown inFigure 6. The inner edge of the plate 8 forms one side of a channel for receiving the cordZ longitudi:

nally through the handle, and is formed With teeth or serrations l5 opposing teeth or serrations [6 formed on a gripping element H which constitutes the opposite side of the cord channel through the handle. The gripping element I1 is pivotally mounted at 18 on one of the bolts 1 near one end of the gripping element and handle. The opposite end of the gripping element is recessed at [9 where it bearsa-gainst a compression spring which in turn bears-against a block 2| secured by bolts 22 to the handle. One side of the block 2| also forms a portion iofthe wall of the cord channel opposite one end of the abutment plate 8 and in continuation of the channel wall formed by" the gripping element. The spring 20 normally holds the gripping element II in the position shown in Figure 6 with the serrations l6 retracted somewhat" behind the block 2| towiden the serrated part of the cord channel so that a cord may slide free-1y through the cord channel without encountering resistance'betweenthe opposed serrations. The outward movement of the grippin element is limited. by its engagement with the block 2|.

It will be apparent that the cord channel is of fixed width at one end of the handle between the plate 8 and block 2i, and of substantially fixed width at the. other end of the handle between the plate"8 and that portion of the gripping element adjacent its pivot 18, 'both portions of fixed width having smooth walls to facilitate threadin the cord into the cord channel from either end thereof. Between these end-portions of fixed width the parts 8 and I! also form a substantially straight and parallel walled cord channel to guide the end of the cord'when it'is inserted and pushed through the handle. There is no enlarged interior cavity permitting'the end of the cord to wander and double back upon itself. The length of the gripping'element 11 provides an extended gripping surface to engage the cord over a considerable'leng'th instead of at only one point as heretofore proposed.

In "the relaxed position of the parts it will be noted that oneside, or edge portion, of the gripping element l'lis projected by the spring '20 outwardly slightly'beyond the side margin of the handle where it is in a position to be squeezed inwardly when the handle is gripped. When the handle is gripped by anoperator, the gripping element l'l isthereby swung inwardly on its pivot l8 to move the serrated edge [6 closer to the serrations 15. These serrations maybe inclined in opposite directions in the members 8 and I1 to grip a cord efiectively in either direction of pull, but it will be noted that when the handle is pulled to the left in Figures 4 and 6 the frictional engagement of the cord with the serrations 16 acts in a line at a distance from the pivot point 18 having a lever arm tending to rotate the gripping element I"! in a counter clockwise direction to maintain a,v self-energizing gripping action as long as a pull is exerted on the handle and in addition to the squeeeze applied externally to the gripping element. Whenever such pullis discontinued, the self-energizing action of the gripping element is also discontinued, and if the operators grip be relaxed from the gripping element ll, the spring 20 will separate the parts 8 and H to immediately release the cord. The above described construction embodying a cord channel extending entirely through the handle of the gripping device avoidsrthe necessity for carrying the spool of cord within the handle itself, which obviously cannot be done both ends of a binding or the like.

when the cord or twine is furnished in great length on large balls, cones or reels. Thus, the present gripping device may be usedeither at the end or in an'intermediate portion of a long cord, and if desired, two of these gripping devices may be used in order to apply tension on In such use the cord end will have to be removed from one of the gripping devices as it will then be on the bundle or article which has been tied, but it is I tying operation.

The handle half 5 is formed with a channel 23 within which is slidably mounted a cutting blade 24 normally "held in a, retracted position within the handle by means 'of a tensionhspring 25. One end-of the-Spring 2,5.is securedat 2.6 to the blade, andits opposite .end is. secured at 21 to one of thebolts 1 extending through the handle. A projection 28 on the :blade extends slidably through a slot 29 in the handle forsliding the blade into projected position to outv the cord after a binding and tying operation.

In clamping the two handle halves together, suitable means are :provided to .keep the half .15 from binding upon the trigger l0 and gripping element "and so preventing the proper.functioning of these parts.

"Various changes maybe made in the .construction and arrangement of parts within the. spirit of the invention, and all such modifications within the scope of the appended .claim are included in'the invention,

Having now described my invention and in what manner the same may be used,what'l claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

Acord'gripping device. comprising a, flat hand grip having acord guiding and" confining channel extending longitudinally therethrough from .end to end, a fixed abutment surface in said hand grip defining one side of said channel, .a fixed block 'defining'the other side of said channel at one end of said hand grip, a-pivoted gripping element defining said other side of said channel from said block to 'the' remote end of said "hand grip, a spring betwe'ensaid block and saidgripping element to move'said gripping element outwardly from said channel and into an exposed position to be squeezed into said hand grip, said outward movement being limited by engagement of saidgrippingelement with said block, and-said gripping-element being adapted to grip a cord for a substantial length-against said abutment surface in said cord channel when-said gripping element'is squeezed inwardly.

ALFRED A. MORTON.

REFERENCES CITED The following'refe'rences are of record in the file of this patent:

'UNITED STATES PATENTS 

